Flashback Friday

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Flashback Friday: Jamie Lidell – “Compass”

October 7, 2011 in Alt-Country, Experimental, Flashback Friday, Soul by chase | No comments

Some things you just can't argue with

This is a fairly recent flashback, as Jamie Lidell’s “Compass” came out just last year. But hey, we’re on blogger time here. A world where Gorilla vs. Bear makes snotty comments to Chris Weingarten for waiting 5 days to comment on new music. By that definition this stuff is ancient!

Anyway, I digress and now on to a nerdy confession. The place I found this song was none other than one of my favorite video games, Red Dead Redemption. After you kill the final bad guy and are rewarded with the right to see your family again, protagonist John Marston traverses the Great Plains on his galloping horse toward home as this song sweetly fills the air.

And what a song! “Compass” initially strays from Lidell’s typical soul/funk/experimental sound to something very folky and country. I’d even go so far as to call it an underground classic love song. After a gorgeous 4 minutes he goes right into a Tom Waits style get-down for the last minute for a grand finale. Maybe it’s the context of the game in which I discovered it but this one leaves me breathless every time.

Jamie Lidell – “Compass” 

Find Jamie Lidell’s music on iTunes

Flashback Friday: Rilo Kiley – “The Frug”

August 12, 2011 in Flashback Friday, Indie, Pop by chase | No comments

In happier(?) times...

So everyone knows that Rilo Kiley is over, right? Just for those of you who aren’t “in the know” thought I’d drop that little bomb on you. Personally, I blame that ratface Jonathan Rice on ruining Jenny Lewis (sorry, Acid Tongue and Jenny and Johnny suck ass). Modern day Yoko Ono, anyone? Anyway, personal feelings aside – one of my favorite bands ever is dead and has been dead for some time. Even as they were on the verge of becoming “the next Fleetwood Mac,” too.

At least Fleetwood Mac knew how to stay together, you amateurs

At least there’s still The Elected, which is a somewhat acceptable consolation prize. Thanks for keeping it real, Blake Sennett.

The point is that I’ve always had an unabashed love for Rilo Kiley and as tribute, wanted to post their very first single ever, “The Frug,” from their rare first album Initial Friend. Anyone familiar with the band’s history knows that it’s a long way from where they ended up, but it stands alone as a great indie pop song. It was Lewis’ first foray into expressing her disenchantment with life and overall vulnerability that made us all fall in love from the outset. For what it’s worth, I cannot do The Smurf either…

Rilo Kiley – “The Frug”

Flashback Friday: Sam Flanagan – “Water Lily (Lily Allen vs Stone Roses)

August 5, 2011 in Electronic, Flashback Friday, Mashup, Pop by chase | No comments

Mashed-up indeed

This little jam came out in 2006, so I’m going to go ahead and declare it worthy enough for Flashback Friday status. What is that in blogger years, like 20? Mashups are on the way out, but this is so delicately done that it hardly even counts. Sam Flanagan, known for his brilliant mixes, takes Lily Allen’s bird-like voice and sets it down against the Madchester kings Stone Roses. The result is one of those rare products that sound like it should have been the original song itself.

On such a warm, sleepy Friday afternoon what could be better? It’s a nice primer for a night out or winding down for a quiet evening inside. Give it at least 36 seconds, where it really kicks in to something memorable.

Sam Flanagan – “Water Lily (Lily Allen vs. Stone Roses”

Find more of Sam Flanagan’s work on iTunes

Thanks to Raven and Crow for the find! 

Flashback Friday: The Go-Betweens – “Streets of Your Town”

July 29, 2011 in Flashback Friday, Indie Rock by chase | No comments

I smell a sitcom!

Sometimes I wonder if people really understand how long the “indie” sound has been around. Last week for Flashback Friday I covered my initial involvement with bands like Pretty Girls Girls Make Graves and Death Cab For Cutie (cmon guys, BEFORE they sold out, duh). But this shiz has been around for more than a minute… dig The Go-Betweens, Australian indie rockers that put out their most successful album, 16 Lovers Lane, in 1988.

The Go-Betweens were obviously before their time and never achieved expected commercial success, though they remain a cult favorite. 16 Lovers Lane has been called the Rumors of indie rock, with internal conflict and heavy emotion driving most of the creative output. The Fleetwood Mac comparison isn’t unfounded, as they’ve been called some of the best songwriters of all time. Check out “Streets of Your Town,” their biggest single, evocative of The Smiths with its upbeat style and dark lyrics.

The Go-Betweens – “Streets of Your Town”

Pick up 16 Lovers Lane on iTunes if you know what’s good for you

Flashback Friday: Pretty Girls Make Graves – “All Medicated Geniuses”

July 22, 2011 in Flashback Friday, Indie Rock by chase | No comments

Apparently huge Elliot Smith fans

Somewhere during my high school journey, the magic had faded from what was once golden music (at least to us at the time). By then the novelty of bands like Taking Back Sunday and Brand New faded away. It was time for something new. After getting into The Smiths a whole new world of music opened for me, and Pretty Girls Make Graves was one of the first bands that took me to the next level.

“The New Romance” was a natural stepping stone for those blazing the trail from post-hardcore and emo into the new world of plaid shirts and neck scarves in the summer. Featuring pretty basic rock ethos, PGMG had that crazy dissonance that distanced itself from what might have otherwise been standard fare for the time. We’re not talking about revolutionary stuff, but at least it was a step ahead.

Pretty Girls Make Graves – “All Medicated Geniuses”

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